Of Secret Kisses and Sneaking Around
by gurenge
Summary: It all began with a hot day; Ranma and Akane find themselves sneaking around.
1. Chapter 1

Summary: It all began with a hot day; Ranma and Akane find themselves sneaking around.

Disclaimer: Rumiko Takahashi ©

Of Secret Kisses and Sneaking Around

* * *

There was frustration piling up atop Akane as she sat with her legs crossed in front of the family room's table, a small fan spinning at its best potential placed in front of her. It wasn't enough. She had a headband pushing her blue stands of hair away from her forehead and lifting as much as it could at the back, allowing the nape of her neck to breath. She wore a tank top and small shorts – it _wasn't _enough. The sudden heat wave had hit mid-night, as the youngest Tendo had been woken to the sudden need to breath. She felt as though she had begun suffocating quickly sliding her window open in hopes of a fresh breeze, but to her dismay her only encounter had been the thick and hot air.

She began undressing herself from her usual yellow pajamas, quickly slipping into smaller and thinner garments. When morning finally rose, noting the weather still hadn't composed itself, Akane quickly went to pack some ice inside napkins to press against her skin. The young girl whined at her eldest sister, as though Kasumi could do something about the misfortunate situation; but all she did was bring her younger sister freshly-packed ice while taking the damped napkins to dispose of. "Thanks, Kasumi, but what I _really_ need is a shower." Akane commented, arrogance getting the best of her as the ice, nor the fan were not doing anything for her.

Ranma felt the heat begin to hit hours later when he woke up to his futon drenched, wondering if he had an accident, panic rising inside him before coming to the conclusion it was sweat. _What the hell?_, were his first thoughts as he was already in shorts and a tank top, he shouldn't be as hot as he was. Why was he sweating so much? He made his way down the stairs, hearing the murmuring of the living room's daytime television, his father and Mr. Tendo chatting among themselves, while taking a good _whiff_ of what he believed to be breakfast. Stepping into the family room he couldn't help but allow his azure eyes fall upon his fiancée showing a fair amount of skin while sweat glistened on her as though she were glowing.

Akane hadn't noticed when Ranma had walked in, as she kept her attention away, gently dabbing the already-melting ice along her neck, slightly tilting it upward to reach the crease of her neck before dragging it down to her collarbone. She winced in satisfaction when the coldness met with untouched areas, forcing the pigtailed teen to cover his face, feeling flustered and embarrassed to witness such _cute_ expressions.

"Morning, guys! Hot day, huh, Ranma?"

Nabiki had walked past him, slapping her palm against the back of his shoulder, shooting a playful smirk at him to snap him out from his trance before she took a seat next to her younger sister. He hated being caught up in _these _sorts of situations, in which he couldn't explain himself as to why he was blushing when staring at _his_ fiancée.

He went to join the girls at the table, unconsciously eyeing the blue-haired teen appearing to be melting as though she were butter. Akane had come to notice, easily making her conscious of herself as she fixed her posture, and began pushing hairs stuck on her sweaty face behind her ear. "What is it Ranma? Do I've got something on my face or what?" Akane asked, not meaning to sound as roughly as it came out. But the black-haired teen kept throwing glances at her, it was _embarrassing_.

"No," Ranma spat back, narrowing his eyebrows at her before looking away, resting his cheek at the palm of his hand as he leaned against the table, "just looking funny as ever, tomboy – "

"What did you say?" Her tone became high-pitched, the pigtailed boy immediately regretting his response, turning his body away from his fiancée with his arms elevated to shield any throwing-punch Akane was prepping for. Ranma hadn't know why he suddenly decided to insult the young girl, as though it were in his nature to get her riled up. There was some sort of amusement to see her fuming expression; caring about what he had to say to gain _such_ reaction from her – even if it at the end his gain was her knuckles against his scalp.

"Ranma, you dummy!"

"I didn't say anything, _gah_ – !"

It was too late, the blue haired youngster had thrown an object towards him, hitting the aimed-spot: atop his head. Akane puffed her cheeks with annoyance, she looked away unapologetic as she stood, calling to Nabiki, "I am going to go shower, please ask Kasumi to put my plate away." With that she was gone, Ranma rubbing the forming-bump where he had been struck.

"Damn _uncute_, macho, brick-thigh girl! What the hell was that for?"

Nabiki displayed her sly smile towards her future brother-in-law, enjoying how her apparent smirk had began making him fidget, a slight crimson appearing over his cheeks. He was hating just how obvious he appeared when it came to the middle-Tendo sister.

The day began to become less hot when Ranma and Akane had been left alone for the evening; Nabiki had been invited to the waterpark by some friends and their parents had decided to head to the public baths in an attempt to try and cool off. Kasumi had pre-made plans with Dr. Tofu for that evening since a week ago; the day wasn't _as _hot to rescheduled their outing, so they didn't.

Akane laid on the hardwood floor of her living room, limbs spread about as she stared at the ceiling in disbelief. How was she, on a Sunday, letting the heat consume her? How had Nabiki not bothered to invite her to the waterpark? She would have _loved_ to go; especially in a day like this. She prompted her elbows back, adjusting herself as she watched Ranma lay on his side while he reread his manga books. Surely, there was something they could do to entertain themselves.

And she didn't know if it was her boredom and the need of entertainment, or the hallucinations the heat was beginning to beat on her; but Akane decided Ranma needed a distraction as well. She was a tad upset over his unnecessary comment from earlier, but she had come to terms that sometimes he was just a _dope_. She went to the kitchen to grab a sharing-popsicle, taking a seat next to him as she snapped the icy-treat down the middle to hand him the other half.

Ranma looked up at her, genuinely surprised, yet reached over to take from her petite hand. "What's this for – making mends from earlier?"

She rolled her eyes at him, "It's a hot day, idiot. And why would _I_ be apologizing to _you_? I'm not the one who insulted you."

"Well – er – I – "

Her abnormally fawn-like eyes stayed staring at him, letting him speak if he wanted to speak as she began tasting her popsicle. When there was no end to his stammering, she simply smiled fondly at him, "I accept your apology." She didn't know why he was aggressive with her at times; they'd be getting along fine, watching a movie or agreeing in a topic, when – _boom_ – he goes and downright calls her unfriendly names.

She didn't understand him at times. But not all times; there has been moments when she recognized that he was being extra gentle with her, as though afraid to harm her, and those small details didn't go unnoticed by her. Her feelings about the pigtailed boy tugged at her guts, making her feel queasy and unsure of what was permitted when it came to him.

Akane licked her bottom lips, trying to reach her chin as her popsicle had began dripping, drops marking her chin and down her neck. She used the top of her hand to wipe away streaks running down, smacking her tongue against her teeth in annoyance at how uncooperative her popsicle was being.

Ocean eyes gazed in awe, from the corner of his eyes observing just how the sweat and colorful marking down her skin made him feel dizzy. Akane huffed from her nose seeming upset as her hands were now sticky, taking in the remains of the popsicle inside her mouth to leave the stick bare. It was moments like these when Ranma was forced to acknowledge his hormones and wonder if his desires for Akane came from his general attraction towards the girl, no matter how many times he called her uncute; or simply because he was a teenaged boy with _needs_.

For so long he had oppressed his feelings when it came to Akane. Even after he held her lifeless body, limped in his arms, and he unconsciously confessed overflowing-bottled feelings towards her. When she inquired whether those unspoken words were true, he knocked her question to the side. Time had passed since then, but not much time to make him ease up when it came to Akane.

Not with the way she tried to appear upset with furrowed eyebrows to fail miserably and find her quite adorable; her chestnut-colored eyes gleaming while she observed her fingers. As she murmured about the hot air and how she felt as though she needed another shower. His gaze wondered at her face; her fair skin with naturally rosy cheeks and soft-looking lips. He couldn't look away at how a popsicle-stain remained at her lower lips, his thumb wanting to reach over and gently skim over it. He didn't know how to deny it to himself, personally, anymore. Ranma wanted to kiss Akane. He truly wanted all of her. The mere thought made his blood boil and mind burn in a perversion manner.

Akane had become preoccupied with the liquified candy now dried on her skin. Ranma hadn't managed to get a single drop on him, how did she? She glanced over at him, and he looked away with his cheeks matching a beet, as though he had been caught red-handed. Was he thinking about _that_ at a time like this; when the weather was horrendous and their pass time was simply conversing with one another? _Oh, honestly, dummy_. She couldn't deny his posture and chosen attire provoked an undeniable arousal within her – she was attracted to the boy, nonetheless. But still; the way his white tank top stuck against his skin due to his sweat, while his already-short shorts creased upwards. His built physic making her mind run wild and become _lustful_.

_Gah! Get a hold of yourself, Akane!_

And yet she allowed a glance over at him, her hand set near his. With temptation getting the best of her, her fingers danced at him, softly tapping atop his hand before gently resting on it. She didn't look up even when she felt his gaze pierce towards her. And she wondered if this moment would pass as every moment in the past two years have passed. But she _didn't_ want it to. Her fingers curved under it, holding his hand now, hoping he could feel the warmth lit within the touch, and not because of the summer heat.

"A – Akane – what..um..er.."

She chuckled lightly at his visible awkwardness, looking up and sighing with a knowing smile, knowing he wasn't uneasy because of her but the skin-to-skin contact. "It feels nice," she admitted aloud, removing her touch from his.

But he _didn't_ want her to. So, without a thought, his hand went to reach for hers to hold. She cocked an eyebrow upward, not too surprised at his sudden impulse when it came to this sort of scenarios.

"What is this?" She asked teasingly, her eyebrow bouncing trying to ease up the moment and he huffed through his nostrils.

"It feels nice." He replied, ignoring the deep shade of red he knew his face was illuminating.

She smiled shyly, feeling the heat emerge among her own cheeks. "Yeah." She said.

It was quiet for a few minutes, each enjoying the moment all the while letting their minds run wild.

"Ranma," Akane went first, scooting closer to him until her side merely touched his side. Her hand still in his, her thumb scraping softly against his own; she looked over to her side not realizing how intensely he had been listening when she called his name. He was mere inches away from her face, his eyes wide with wonder and a flame lit within. Her smokey eyes became droopy, half-lidded and blinking heavily as she felt his breathing nozzle at her cheek.

It wasn't the first time she'd kiss Ranma – if one would consider such scenarios kisses – but this time he gazed at her as though she were a polished jewel; with admiration and curiosity as to what to do with her. She began to feel his hand tremble as it held hers tighter than before. And she decided to kiss him. She pushed softly, stopping mid-second before fully pressing her lips against his.

He kept still just a second longer as Akane stayed put with eyes shut, waiting for him to initiate the next move. So he did; Ranma's free hand reached for her cheek, cupping behind her ear as they adjusted their posture, their gaping mouths taking in-between breaths while they continued from one kiss to a second kiss. Then another until she was pressing herself against him. His tongue grazed over her lower lip, her throat unwillingly letting a whimper escape. She pulled away with embarrassment plastered on her face, not meaning to express audibly just how _good_ it felt. She looked away from the pigtailed boy who only chuckled cockily as she used her freed hand to hide her flushed expression.

"_'_Kane," he called, his firm hand reaching for her small wrist to pull away from her flustered face, she complying far too easily as his heavy eyes searched for hers. He leaned at her to resume what they had just been doing, and Akane allowed it, not minding that his body weight had been shifting onto her. That he was now pressing himself against her and gently pushing her back until she laid on the hardwood floor of their family room. Her arms at first sheepishly picking at his tank top's cloth while feeling Ranma's teeth scrape against her own before he caught her lower lip. He kissed gently, but she felt his roughness each time he pressed his lips on her.

They were breathing heavily when he pulled away, though still close enough to try and count the specks inside her pupils. It was her turn to imitate a beet, her short, blue hair sprawled like a halo around her head, his arms at her sides to help his side-composure. He stared tenderly down at her, not knowing how he had lived so long without the touch of Akane's fingertips on his skin. This time it was she who tugged him at her, wrapping her arms around his neck to pull down, calling his name adoringly just before she clasped his mouth once again.

It felt _good_, each kiss better than the last. Akane found herself gasping for air as his lips dragged to her cheeks, letting her breathe, trailing to the crook of her neck to softly peck her hot skin. Though their bodies were sweating with the heat now emerging due to their actions rather than the weather, she felt in bliss. She felt ecstatic at how Ranma's teeth nicked at her throat before dragging his lips back up to find her mouth again.

"I'm home!" Kasumi chirped, taking her time to remove her flats and slide into some slippers, hanging her handbag along the way. "Hm, strange, where's every – ah, Akane, are you home alone?" Kasumi inquired as she walked into the family room where she found her youngest sister by herself, laying on the floor panting. When she didn't answer, Kasumi went over to take a seat next to her, "Oh, my, Akane are you feeling alright? The weather isn't getting to you, is it? It's cooled down quite tremendously since the morning, but you've seem quite burnt up."

Akane chuckled nervously as she started to sit up, rubbing her lower back, "I'm fine, Kasumi," Akane replied with a smile, hoping her rushed face didn't give her away as she combed her fingers through her hair to try and compose it. "I, just, might need _another_ shower."

The eldest Tendo smiled fondly of her sister, wondering just what might have gotten her looking like a red tomato. She only hoped she wasn't working out in that dojo of theirs; though the temperature dropped, it still wasn't the best idea to get such exercise.

"Well, while you do that," Kasumi replied, "I'll get started on dinner. Father, Auntie and Mister Saotome won't be long, I'm sure, but I don't know about Nabiki. And Ranma, where has he gone to?"

"I – uh – don't know – eh, maybe with some friends? I'm gonna – um – go, ah, take that shower!"

Kasumi simply watched her younger sister stumbled out the door as she heard her feet rush up the stairs to be followed with a slamming door. She sighed worriedly; sometimes she didn't understand that girl.

* * *

A/N: To no surprise, I did not proof-read this thoroughly. Just when I would work on it here and there; but I hope you guys managed to enjoy it. I have an idea on where I want to take this and I hope it runs smoothly.

Please let me know if you guys liked it and would be willing to read a following chapter. Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Rumiko Takahashi ©

Of Secret Kisses and Sneaking Around

* * *

Akane could still feel the burning sensation of Ranma's tender kiss along her neck, lingering with his fingertips holding onto her arms. She blushed immensely as she sunk further into her bed, tucking her bedsheets over her head while replaying his voice inside her head; the way he called her name longingly. She had taken another shower like she told Kasumi in an attempt to cool herself down. She remembered feeling shy when she had been called for dinner knowing she would have to face Ranma again. Knowing she would want to throw herself across the table in order to feel his arms emit the body heat she shamelessly craved. But also realizing not knowing what came next made her feel _uneasy_.

She wanted to do it again; kiss him, that is. She could feel the heat roll up on her cheeks, groaning to herself at how desperate she suddenly felt when it came to Ranma. But did _he_ want to continue from where they had been abruptly interrupted? He sure did seem to enjoy their skin-to-skin contact whenever she initiated it. Yet, Ranma had been absent during dinner time, only confusing her further. Was he too embarrassed, he didn't know how to face her just yet? Or did he want to let her down gently – that he _simply_ wasn't interested?

Her lights were off, wanting to sleep and _not_ think about Ranma and just how much of a _good_ kisser he was. _Why was he so good at everything?_ The weather had seemed to compose itself, enough to have covers for the night, but she still felt hot and had tucked herself in another set of shorts and tank top. She took a deep breath and turned her body to face the wall, her brow eyes blinking at the dull structure for a moment before rustling under the sheets to face the other way. She yelped in shock, sitting up with a defense stance at the figure on her now-opened window. How did she not feel _his_ presence?

Ranma rushed to her, swiftly leaping to her side with his hand across her mouth in an attempt to shush her. He had unintendedly softly pinned her against the wall as he peeked over her shoulder towards the door in case anyone had heard and made their way to her bedroom. After a brief moment, when no one came to make themselves known, Akane pushed him away from her with a raised eyebrow. "Ranma, what are you doing?"

"Making sure no one heard you, dummy, what do you think?" He replied as though his actions were a perfectly normal reaction. She groaned in annoyance, softly tugging at his pigtail to receive furrowed eyebrows from him.

"I meant _here_. What are you doing, sneaking into my room at this time of night?" She crossed her arms over her chest, noticeably relaxed as he saw her shoulders gently drop. She and her cocked eyebrow waited for an answer from his stumbling words, observing his cheeks lit up as he looked down to his hands fondling with each other, her sudden playful laugh startling him for a second. His curiosity grew as to _why_ she was laughing and if it were at him.

"What's so funny?" He asked accusingly, his childlike attitude only making her laugh harder. It was more than obvious why Ranma had sneaked into her bedroom at hours when he wouldn't be easily spotted. It tickled her stomach, her genuine smile wide at how happy she suddenly was with her realization. Ranma was there to see her, and possibly _continue_ doing what they had just done hours ago. "I'm talking to you, idiot," he said again, obviously upset at her non-answering manner. His unsettling expression calmed her, as she didn't want to fully distress the boy, finally composing herself as she wiped a fake-tear from the corner of her eye.

"Pervert," Akane commented as she tried to settle under her bedsheets, not meaning it truly as she had missed the way Ranma's blue eyes grazed her body.

"Don't call me that," he said lowly, quickly glancing away in hopes he hadn't been caught. "It's not like _you_ weren't there," he spat back as he knew she was referring to the events that had taken place earlier, an accusing tone forcing her to glare at him, being her turn to blush like a berry.

"I – er – um…"

She puffed her cheeks with air, wanting to ricochet a comeback of her own only to be left speechless. _It_ was the truth; she had been there and she had enjoyed it as much as _he_ did. He smirked self-assertively at her, his ego boosting up as her fingers fidgeted with the hem of her bedsheets; it took great skill not to get a snappy remark from the youngest Tendo, as she was the feistiest yet. He couldn't deny she looked cute, as her large eyes looked away, shy and embarrassed.

"Oh, Ranma, you jerk" she groaned not wanting to verbally admit it, glancing over to find him and his ego staring at her in a teasing manner. She huffed air out of her nose and he laughed for a quick second. "If you're just going to make fun of me, you could just _go_, you know?" There was a hint of hurt in her words, he could sense them; he mentally smacked himself – there he went again, making things much more difficult than they need to be. He was sitting next to her, on her bed, and she hadn't initially kicked him out per-say. She _also_ wanted this, whatever "this" was. Why was is so hard to admit it to themselves?

He lowered his head towards her, the sudden movement startling her, once again having Ranma's face inches from her own. His smirk still stood its ground upon his lips, provoking her as he went to say, "Why you gotta be so…_cute?_" His rhetorical question only enforced the pink hue on her cheeks to darken, making her weak on the knees though she wasn't necessarily standing.

His breathing tickled her nose and she smiled small, the butterflies flapping their wings at the pit of her stomach pushing her over the edge as he kissed her softly. And as though having a mind of their own, her hand went to rest at the nape of his neck, the tip of her fingers trembling while digging up into the jet-black stands of hair. Already feeling in such a high, it intensified when his palm gently pressed at her hip. She pushed her kiss deeper, her heart pounding against her chest when she suddenly felt his fingertips sneak their way under her tee to feel the side of her stomach. His touch burnt, in a marvelous manner, yet she squealed, her flushed face going to hide at the crook of his neck, his muscle-tank having a comforting scent of him.

"You okay, 'Kane?" He whispered to her, still mesmerized but concern if he had gone too far. She nodded quickly, and he could hear her breathing loud and clear, not expecting when she went to wrap her arms around his neck to kiss him again, this time she being the one to eliminate any space between the two. There was something about the way Ranma cared for her; in how the tone of his voice sparked shivers down her back; it made him undeniably _hot_.

His arms went to enfold the young teen, returning the affectionate kiss unfolding atop her bed. She leaned back to rest her head on her pillow, never parting mouths as he went to lay with her. His upper body pressed down on her, his arms roaming at her back over her tank. And they stayed like so for awhile, only separating when gasping for air. Her lips had become red and puffy from his tugging and nibbling. He took her in with deep breaths, pecking at her cheeks to trail over her collarbone towards her naked shoulders, not wanting to stop kissing her; not wanting to lose skin-contact.

Akane hadn't noticed when Ranma began to unconsciously shift his body atop of her, his hips spreading her legs only for her to allow it. He found a spot at her collarbone when he retraced his kisses. She moaned almost immediately, his hips reacting with a jolt against her pelvis, her flustered face reddening – _if possible_. His hot tongue ran over the discovered area once more, as he enjoyed the subtle tug she made at his pigtail. He was utterly determined to leave a love bite, kissing the spot before sucking on it softly. Her eyes rolled back to the sudden excessive amount of pleasure she felt ignite within her, his teeth gently grazing her fair skin before biting down to receive a harder pull that struck him out from his trance.

"S – sorry, Akane!" He said awkwardly, and she shook her head in disbelief. _Did I go too far, this time, for real?_ He never knew with himself.

"No, no, Ranma, it was me, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to pull _that_ hard, I got out of hand!"

He laughed at the incident, his arms engulfing her petite body, going to muzzle the top of her head to relish on the sweet smell of her hair. "You idiot," he sighed with relief and she giggled to herself, her fingertips feeling the elusive bite mark she was sure he _didn't_ mean to leave. Covering such a mark with weather as such would be a great dilemma; would she want to admit that Ranma touched her in such a vulgar manner if anyone ever questioned it? Or was _this_ their secret to enjoy without anyone else's nose butting in?

Ranma rested his chin atop her head as she slipped face against his neck, suddenly making him self-conscious to the way her hot breathing pressed on his skin. She was unintentionally tempting him; in the many ways he shouldn't allow himself to visualize about. But this was _normal_; she was his fiancée after all.

Ranma felt himself dozing off as they had inaudibly agreed to share a moment of serene silence between each other. Akane's fingers tugging at his muscle-tee, feeling the material between her fingers while thinking about the boy wearing it. She wasn't sleepy whatsoever; she had a boy inside her bedroom. She was sure she wouldn't get in much trouble if anyone in the household knew the boy inside her bedroom was Ranma, but she wasn't so sure they'd agree if they knew just what they were doing.

She could still feel his teeth try and prick at her skin, blushing at just how much she enjoyed it.

"Ranma?" She called him, her voice spoke softly, feeling his body shift against her to secure his grip on her.

"Hmm?"

"What are we doing?" It was a question burning at the back of her mind; all while she allowed him to touch her in the same desiring manner she wanted him.

"What do 'ya mean, 'Kane?" His voice slurred and she could tell she was losing him to the sandman all too quick.

Akane remained silent, not elaborating on her question, readjusting herself within his hold with sleep getting ahold of her. But she knew the night had to end and she needed to push Ranma out her door, whether she wanted to or not.

Though, staying put as they were for just a while longer wouldn't hurt.

The following morning Akane felt like a stuttering mess when she bumped into Ranma on the way down the stairs for breakfast. He had just finished bathing; she could tell as his pigtail dripped at the side of his shoulder. She hadn't known why but her first reaction had been to place her palm over the hickey that bruised quite noticeably, though she was dressed in her school's uniform with the neckline of her white blouse high enough to hide any evidence of last night. "M – morning!" She greeted far too jolly, she couldn't convince even herself.

The pigtailed martial-artist felt heat rise upon his ears as his blue eyes glanced just where her hand had landed by her shoulder. "H – h – hey!"

"Bye!" Akane replied, rushing past him while not looking back, going to find her spot at the family table. Kasumi had just finished setting up and the rest of her family was still gathering about. She didn't want to feel _weird_, yet she felt attacked each time eyes glanced her way while receiving morning greetings from everyone. She was the last one to wake up, which was odd. She remained silent and reached for her plate when Nabiki handed it to her, her neck snapping at her head turning rapidly when she heard Ranma settling next to her.

He wasn't looking at her, yet she found herself quite happy. The corners of her lips smiled upwardly as she tried to hide her contentment, reaching for a fried pickle she wasn't too hungry for anymore.

The walk to school had been a quite one. Akane kept her eyes on the road ahead while her well-balanced fiancé traced after her atop the rusty fence. His hands rested behind his head and tried to ignore the awkwardness that was thick enough to cut with a knife. Each time he glanced down at her he could feel sweat rolling down his neck with heat swelling upon his cheeks just thinking about last night. He had not meant for it to get _that_ far – not that he didn't _like_ it, or would have opposed to it from the beginning. He just wanted to talk. Ask her if she was alright. When Kasumi walked through the door panic engulfed the boy and he did what he considered to be the best option: run away. But not from her, just the situation.

What would have been their excuse if they were caught in such a compromising position?

"Ranma?" He heard her call, snapping him out of thought before looking at her direction to notice she had stopped walking. With a curious face he swiftly hopped off to land in front of her, slightly bending down to match her height, "What is it, Akane?"

"L – last night…what…was it?" She knew what it meant to her, she just wanted to know if it were the same for him.

Moments from last night flashed in his mind and his toes crawled as he felt goosebumps along his spine. He remembered the way her angelic voice released a small moan when he kissed her skin; how he trembled upon touching her. He knew the topic was bound to pop up between the two, he didn't know it'd be so early in the morning.

"I – er -well – it…um – "

"What are we doing?" She looked up with her large eyes trying to find answers within him, allowing herself to be vulnerable. But he seemed as though he was trying to find those answers himself.

"What are you dumb? How could you _not_ know what was happening last night?" His sarcastic remark caused her knuckles to turn white as she held onto her school bag, annoyance getting the best of her.

"You idiot, that's not what I mean!"

"Oh, c'mon, Akane. I don't know what to say, it just sorta happened. I'm no pervert, or nothing, if that's what you're thinking!"

"I see. So, it just sort of happened, huh? Could have happened with anyone, is that what you're saying?" She felt a forceful tug at her heartstrings; as though someone was holding onto to her heart and tightly squeezing and it was hurting.

"No, no! That's not what I mean at all! Akane, why you always gotta mix up my words?"

"Then what are you saying, Ranma?" She could feel the knot building inside her throat, and she didn't want to cry but as the seconds flew by it seemed harder to hold it in. Why didn't she ever understand the dynamic between the two?

"What I mean, is – _gah!_ Shampoo, what are you – ?"

"Ranma take Shampoo to date, yes?" Her slim arms enveloped around the pigtailed boy as Akane allowed the charade play out in front of her like they typically did. Without another word she stuck up her nose at them, not having the patience to deal anymore.

During school lectures Ranma tried to get her attention by throwing scrunched up notes her way and whispering her name. She ignored it until it was lunch time. Her friends decided to meet at the rooftop, where Akane was heading after purchasing some extra snacks before she was tugged away mid-step into an empty classroom. It wasn't their classroom, she recognized, as she hadn't even been in their hallway's level. She heard the door slide-shut while her seemingly-upset fiancé stared her down on the floor.

"What in the world are you doing?" She inquired, feeling her fingers begin to crush the melon bread she had been looking forward to eating.

Ranma crossed his arms, leaning back on the door with narrowed eyes, "What's the matter with you?" He answered with his own question.

"Whatever do you mean?" She tried to play nonchalant, her eyes closed as she looked away, crossing her arms in an imitating manner. She heard his tongue smack against his teeth, and she opened one eye to see him walk towards her.

"You've been ignoring me all morning, and I want to know why!"

"Oh, don't play dumb, Ranma!" She felt her blood boiling; she had allowed herself to become unguarded with him yesterday, she honestly believed he had, too. Yet, seeing how easily Shampoo held him upset her, more than she cared to admit. Akane knew Ranma hardly paid any attention when _they _demonstrated it in such a fashion, but it only boggled her mind to think that he could be touching _them _behind closed doors like he did she. Of course, the mere thought seemed absurd, she realized as she was about to spit it out her irrational thoughts at him. Why couldn't she just say it – recognize she was _jealous_.

"Ranma, honey!" They heard Ukyo call, Akane fully crumbling the baked-good as she glared at Ranma.

"Great, another one!" Akane snapped.

Ukyo had been in search of Ranma in a sense to share their lunch time together, swearing she had seen him head up to the last floor before reaching the roof. Yet, she hadn't seen him atop with the rest of their classmates. The pigtailed teen groaned and shushed Akane, his index finger pressed against his lip before reaching for her arm and dragging her to his side. He embraced her petite body, slouching down to the floor in an attempt to hide.

The pair found themselves face to face once again, merely inches away as she felt her heart begin to beat faster at the all familiar reenactment. _Why are they always trying to take him away?_ He was hers; she knew so, and she wanted to make sure _he _knew it, too. "Ranma?" She called, whispering his name as softly as she could manage; his arms keeping her in place as she looked up.

He felt his breath cut sharply, inwardly whimpering at the way his name rolled out her tongue. She looked so cute, as her peachy cheeks flushed, hazel eyes blinking with fluttering eyelashes as if trying to hypnotize him. She opened her mouth to continue speaking, "L – last night," she felt herself begin to fidget, and he nodded absent-mindedly to let her know he knew what she was referring to, "it felt nice." She smiled small and he couldn't hold it in anymore – he went to nuzzle his nose at the crook of her neck. He pecked her jawline softly with his lips, causing her to bite down her lower lip in an attempt to stay quiet.

Ukyo called his name once more, causing Akane's face to turn sour. Still, she blushed at the nonetheless intimate gesture, upset at herself at how irritated all of his too-friendly acquaintances made her. They remained in that position, Ranma's face buried in Akane's skin, until they believed Ukyo had gone.

She took a deep breath, feeling instantly hot while she fanned her face with her hand.

"S – sorry," he found himself saying, an embarrassed expression sprawled on his face as he began to loosen Akane from his embrace.

Akane found herself mimicking his posture, sitting up and pushing strands of blue hair behind her ear, shaking her head. "If we're going to do this," she said with a shaking voice, hoping she wouldn't have to explain what "this" was, "we're going to have to be _super _sneaky."

"Super wha – ?" Before he had a chance to finish his question, Akane found herself reaching for his hand to tangle her fingers with. She leaned forward and kissed him softly on the lips. He didn't push away, but rather gladly accepted as his free hand went to reach behind her head.

* * *

A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews you guys left me! They honestly make my day! (Gracias por sus comentarios, ¡realmente me hicieron mi día! ¡Me hace feliz saber que leyeron mi fic y comentaron!)

I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter; this story won't be that long, but within the next few chapters it might go up in rating (**T **to **M**) depending how it runs. Once again, thank you for reading and your reviews! I look forward to them and they fuel me to keep writing!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Rumiko Takahashi ©

Of Secret Kisses and Sneaking Around

**M (Not suitable for children or teens below the age of 16 with non-explicit suggestive adult themes, or coarse language.)**

* * *

The evening was much cooler than yesterday, Akane noticed. She laid on her bed, freshly out of her uniform, staring at her ceiling for a mere second while lost in thought. She had slipped into a skort to feel comfortable, finding a tee with a high neckline as she felt far too conscious of the bruised love bite Ranma had engraved on her skin. She hadn't wanted to give it much attention, but as she began putting her shirt on, _it_ was just there. She stayed in her bra for a minute observing the marking in her mirror, turning red thinking about the boy who had done it to her.

It had been three times now – _three!_ Their quite comfortable encounters, that is. Sure, during school lunch had been quite rushed, not wanting to risk getting caught in school taking part of _such_ activities; whether she enjoyed them, or not. Still, Ranma had been willingly kissing her since yesterday and that's a lot more than _anyone_ else could say, not that _she_ was going to say anything. She took a deep breath and dragged her palm down her face with a groan of frustration.

_Agreement?_ They had an agreement now, and though she initiated it, he complied so easily. She reached for her pillow, hugging it and turning to her side to now face her wall, remembering just how Ranma had sneaked into her bedroom. And called her _cute_. She blushed feeling flustered at just how his voice rang inside her head. The way he _touched_ her.

"_Gah_!" She got startled by the sound of a knock on her door, making her sit up instantly as she stared for a second before she took in a breath, "c – come in!" She called out, her door opening as Nabiki made herself known. Her older sister raised an eyebrow with curiosity as she was quick to notice just how skittish Akane suddenly was, pressing one hand on her hip before opening her mouth to speak.

"Hey, Kasumi wants us to go the market. She forgot some things that she needs for dinner."

Akane smiled with agreement, and after getting the written list from their eldest sister the pair were out the house. Nabiki had started her second semester at a university two stations away. She still lived at home, but Akane felt like she didn't get to see her older sister as much. It felt nice being able to spend time with her, even if it's a small walk to the market. Nabiki began talking about school; small details about some classes and how she felt about certain lectures. Akane would place her input, admiring just how mature her sister was, and proud as Nabiki was always smart when it came to school; whether she liked to show it or not.

"So, what's up with you? Anything new?" Nabiki asked, taking a glance at her sister who appeared to be thinking about just what was new in her life.

"Nothing much really. School's been the same. Same friends, classmates, same – "

"Fiancé," Nabiki quickly cut her off, her face expressions remaining the same; nonchalant.

The blue haired teen felt her cheeks burnt up slightly, her hands turning into fists at her sides to suddenly having Ranma be a part of the chosen topics. "I mean, yeah," she replied concentrating on her voice sounding normal, "with daddy making sure there's an heir to the Anything Goes Martial Arts School, why would anything change?" Her question was more of a rhetorical one than literal, but she glanced at her older sister waiting for a response.

"True. But, have you really never considered Ranma as a love interest?"

Akane stayed quiet as she walked alongside Nabiki, knowing the answer to what she had previously asked herself several times. It was just embarrassing to admit she found the pigtailed martial artist attractive after all the bickering that had grown to be part of their _relationship_; whatever that was. She wondered why Nabiki had him on her mind. Sure, she had been part of their father's schemes a few times, but Akane never truly believed she had any real interest about her relationship with the boy.

"I mean, if you really do plan on marrying him, aren't you curious to see if, I don't know, it could work?" Nabiki continued.

"Well, you've seen how he is!"

"Awkward and unfamiliar with girls, sure."

"Well, yeah, but he's a jerk!"

Nabiki raised an eyebrow at her, "Aren't we all?"

There was silence again, as Akane agreed they both hadn't been in the best of terms in the last couple of years, yet most times than not they'd risked each other's lives for one another; he _was_ her best friend. It was a bittersweet relationship. One that tugged at her insides for the better or the worst — and with Ranma, she just never knew what it would be.

"All I'm saying is, if there's a chance of something happening, why not go for it?"

On the way back from the market, both sisters shared the grocery bags among each other, Nabiki insisting Akane had more strength therefore she should be able to carry more. Her sister taunted a laugh, making sure they had an equal amount. They continued chatting, teasing each other but not taking anything serous. It was a pleasant outing, they both agreed.

After taking the bags into the kitchen where Kasumi and Auntie Saotome had began prepping for dinner, Akane followed Nabiki into the family room. Both their father and Mr. Saotome chatted among themselves while playing a round of shogi, cautiously watching each other's moves. Her sister went to sit by the television with a packet of cookies in hand as she turned it on and began surfing the channels. Akane's eyes were quick to search for Ranma, noting he wasn't present.

_Probably in the dojo_.

Akane made her way to her bedroom, stopping in front of her door when she heard a thump from down the hall, which she followed with curiosity. Coming from Ranma's bedroom, and with the quick realization he was probably in there while his parents were downstairs, she shamelessly slid his door open. She was right.

Her face lit up bright red as Ranma had been in the middle of changing. He sat on the floor wearing his black pants but was missing his usual red mandarin shirt. She was embarrassed, as she would tend to be, yet she stayed put; her hands were on each side of the opened entrance as her umber eyes observed his body.

"A – Akane! Don't you knock?"

It wasn't the first time she'd seen him so revealing; but something about the way he had become flustered, still shirtless with the fresh top in his hands aroused her.

"_All I'm saying is, if there's a chance of something happening, why not go for it?"_

She stepped into his bedroom and closed the door behind her, feeling bold and _secure_ of herself. "Hey," she greeted lamely, mentally smacking herself. _Really, just hey?_

"Is everything okay?" He asked, readjusting his shirt in his hands as he was about to put it over his head before Akane went to take a seat in between his legs, reaching for it. Her hand stayed on the piece of garment, staring at her hand do the actions she wasn't truly thinking through. His words in response stumbled as he spoke them and she smiled small, fully taking the shirt off his hands, which he allowed.

Her arms reached for his chest, pressing her warm palms against him, his goosebumps noticeable. His body had battle scars, some he shouldn't had been wearing at such a young age. His olive skin felt soft nonetheless, comforting and she wanted to bury herself against it. She looked up at him, her eyes foggy and kindled with _desire_. His heart was raising, and he was afraid she could feel just how fast it was going. But she was there, in front of him, her alluring manner making him want her more than before.

"Ranma," she said and he listened carefully as she leaned closer, her voice gentle in the way she spoke his name. He _loved_ the way she said his name; as though it were dripping with honey and she was craving something sweet. When her face got closer, his eyelids felt heavy and he was waiting for _it_ – for Akane to kiss him. But she completely missed his lips and rather purposely kissed his jaw, both of her hands now traveled to press on his build torso. Her fingers dug onto his skin, her mouth smearing down his neck and staying put against his Adam's apple where she softly pecked.

"Oh, god," his throat moaned and she kissed it again, his hands going to rest on her waist. He was hot against her, his audible heavy breathing pushing her to want more as her mouth opened wider to kiss his skin with concupiscence. His arms went around her to pull her closer, melting within her touch, fully embracing her. She slightly pulled back and her hands went to hold his head, cupping his cheeks as she kissed him, yearning for affection from him although it had been merely hours since he had last said her name seductively.

It could have been minutes or an eternity that they lasted tasting each other, but he felt it wasn't enough. She pulled away far too quickly, taking heavy breaths to stare down at his eyes. Men's anatomy wasn't new knowledge to her, as she had learned about it in school; but feeling it, how he suddenly become hard against her, was another story.

"F – fuck," he mumbled, one of his hands going to cover his face feeling mortified that Akane was actually present to _witness_ it. She went to pull his hand away, revealing his expression and forcing him to look at her before she continued kissing him, as if testing the hot waters. She pushed him back to rest on the floor, her legs going to straddle his hips to consciously press down on him, a louder moan releasing into her mouth. She tugged on his lower lip, softly thrusting against him to sound a whimper of her own. She was driving him into insanity.

His masculine hands had lowered to her sides, feeling her silky outer thighs, squeezing gently to which she responded rather well against him. She tasted of vanilla and cotton candy; dangerously sweet, though her fragrance wasn't the threatening part. Her body felt too good against his, and he was like the core of a bonfire. He wanted more; he _yearned_ for more, though she was already in his hands. His fingers went underneath the fold of her skort, inwardly disappointed she had shorts, yet still caressed her over the clothing in an inept fashion.

Akane realized she was probably going too far, as her tendencies wanted to do _more_. Sitting up, her hands were compressing against his chest as she pulled away, heat rising up her neck and ears. "We need to talk," she breathed out and he felt disoriented when she suddenly wasn't on him. "Come over tonight," she commanded rather than suggested. His movements stopped with his ocean eyes wondering where she had gone to as he made an unhesitating nod agreeing, causing a giggle out of her at his eagerness. He blushed, although she couldn't tell, he was already flustered enough.

* * *

When night came Akane awaited inside her bedroom, door closed and the lights off in an attempt to make it seem as though she was going to bed. She had changed into sleeping attire and waited impatiently for the black haired teen that was supposed to sneak in to see her. She was under her covers, feeling anxious and thinking about what she was going to say to him.

They hadn't truly talked during their school encounter; no rules or guidelines were set. Nothing was planned out, as everything had been happening with a whim when they'd see each other. Suddenly, every time they saw each other she wanted to _do _things. They had been awfully quiet at the beginning of dinner. Obvious enough to make Kasumi question whether they had gotten into an argument with each other or if something happened at school. Her questions only caused her face to blush immensely and she found herself excusing herself early from the table.

There it was – the light tapping on her window that brought her mindless joy. She was quick to slide the window open, though she had left it unlocked precisely for him. He bounced into the lower frame as she stepped back to take a seat on her bed, still keeping the lights off.

"Hey," he greeted simply, a shy lopsided smile before fully leaping into her bedroom. He held a bag of chips in his hand, stretching his arm to her in a sense of offering the sealed item. It was then that she realized she was hungry, having left her dinner plate quite full before she walked away. She hadn't gone back to the kitchen without having a proper excuse as to why she hadn't been hungry earlier. "I figured a macho chick like yourself couldn't go to bed without food," he found himself saying, her face turning away as she took the chips in harsh manner from him. Unnecessary comment, but she was still hungry.

He found himself smirking at the mumbled words indicating he was an _idiot_, her riled side bringing some sort of comfort within him. He pulled her desk's chair out, freely taking a seat as he watched her cross her legs to then proceed to open the bag and put a chip into her mouth. _How did she manage to make eating chips look damn sexy_? He leaned his chin against his palm, his elbow resting on the desk, staring at Akane.

"So," he heard himself saying, "what did you want to talk about?"

She crunched harder into another chip when his question left his mouth, realizing the topic still made her feel sheepish. "Well," she replied, licking the salt remains from her lips; a subtle doing Ranma had not left unnoticed. "About us."

He recalled earlier, noting although it was a short-lived encounter, it was the furtherest they had gone yet. "Wh – what about us?" If there was one thing he didn't want to talk about, was his erection and how Akane had been the reason for it. But maybe she was expecting an apology, and what man was he if he couldn't own up his own mistakes. He hadn't meant to make her uncomfortable – it just sort of happened. "Look," he began, softly clasping his hands together, "I'm sorry about earlier, see," his words were beginning to clog each other as he tried to find the right ones on how to explain the situation, "when you got on me, I – I – um…there was this reaction, I didn't mean, well _not_ that I didn't mean, I just – "

Akane blushed immensely as she allowed his rambling to go on, remembering his bulge pressing on her while she willing pursued after it.

"Oh, god, Ranma that's not what I want to talk about!"

"You don't?" There was relief in his voice, a sudden relaxation as his breathing calmed.

"Well, I mean, maybe. But don't start there!"

He grinned a cheeky smile, feeling bashful. Akane took another chip, offering some to Ranma which he gladly took. "We're going to get caught, you know?" She said after a second of silence. He found himself thinking about it. He tried to read her expression through the moon illuminating into her dark room, not knowing how to respond.

"Tsk, whatever. I ain't doing nothing I ain't suppose to," he said boldly, her heart speeding at his chosen words. When she didn't comment, he found himself asking, "Right?" His reassuring question with a worried face only made him more adorable than usual, and she couldn't help but agree with a quick nod, much like the one he had given her earlier.

"But," she said, now facing down at the bag of chips they'd been sharing, "it's nice, isn't it?"

"What is?" He knew their make out sessions were obvious statements on how attracted they were to one another, but the spoken words made his hands clammy and overall nervous.

"Not having anyone know about…_us_." The way she said the word _us_, unifying them at least for that moment, made her heart skip a beat. "No one bothers us because they wouldn't ever imagine that you and I…you know?"

He was blushing just as intensely, finding himself gaze at her with astonishment at how vocal she was being.

"That you and I, what?" He found himself asking, and she looked to her side, rolling her eyes with annoyance at how shy she was being with herself about _this_. Yet, he mirrored her actions, not knowing what to say or do, even if he had an idea of what he _wanted_ to do.

"Well, I don't know, Ranma. We've never established that, did we?" She replied in a snappy tone, remembering just what had happened on the way to school.

"Look I've already told you, Shampoo just showed up! And you left before I could tell you – "

"Tell me what?" She found herself interrupting desperately, her fawn-like eyes glistening towards him.

"That – that – that, well, oh come one, _'_Kane, you know? Why you gotta make me say it?" He tried to gulp his anxiousness away, Akane only looking away noticeably disappointed on his answer. She didn't know what she was expecting to hear from him, but it sure was more than what he was giving her.

"Why do you let them grab you like that?" She asked quietly, Ranma's eyes softening, recognizing her rare tone of voice. When it came to Shampoo and Ukyo – _heck_, even Kodachi – she felt defenseless, and _he_ knew so. He had witnessed it far too many times. It hurt him, seeing her sound frail and as though she wasn't a match to whatever combat she was battling when it came to the _other_ girls. But he didn't know how to say something – with his quite infamous foot-in-mouth disease – he was afraid to say the wrong things like he tended to do.

He rubbed the back of his neck, trying to form the proper explanation that he was just awkward without making himself sound _delicate_.

"Akane, you know they…" he trailed off, realizing he still didn't know what he wanted to say. "They just sorta appear out of nowhere, and I do tell _'_em to get off of me."

"You could be a bit more strict, you know?" She pouted a face at him and he smirked, coming the realization later than sooner that she was more jealous than angry. He chuckled, placing both hands behind his head, feeling more in his territory with these sorts of topics.

"Damn, for being jealous, you could try and be a _whole_ lot cuter."

"Jealous? Me?" Her voiced almost shrieked and he scrambled out of his ease posture, wincing at her piercing glare. _There he goes again_. "I'm not jealous, why would I be jealous?"

He found himself laughing again, this time taking a seat next to her on the bed. "It's okay to admit it, it's not like I'm choosing any of them weirdos."

"Ch – choosing?"

Was he choosing _her_, is that what he was saying? His blue eyes widen with the realization as to what came out his mouth; without filter. He didn't mean for his statement to be a remarkably candid confession.

"Well, we got the Anything Goes Marital Arts School, right?"

"Oh, right," she noted, somehow the gleam in her eyes dimming, making him feel like he'd been wounded. Sure, it wasn't the only reason why he hadn't chosen to be with any of the other girls, but that was another can of worms he didn't know how to open without spilling.

When no one said anything else, Akane found herself yawning, tossing the empty bag of chips into her waste basket, followed by her opening her window. "I guess I should head to bed," she said, not wanting to look at him. Something was off, he could sense it; might have been something he said, he just didn't know _what_. He never knew what.

"Didn't you want to talk about…us?" He asked, using his finger to point at her and himself, noting they hadn't really talked about their _circumstances_.

"As Anything Goes Marital Arts partners, we can talk about it in our next meeting," she replied with a hint of sarcasm, her tone smacking him at the back of the head.

With more confusion building up than a solution, Ranma found himself leaping out her window like she had asked him asked him to.

_She was upset, for sure_, he just didn't know why. He told her he didn't have any interest in Ukyo or Shampoo and definitely Kodachi, and she didn't react like his ego had told him she would.

* * *

A/N: I'm taking this somewhere, I promise! And, okay, so this chapter wasn't completely **M**, but it's leading up to it and I just want to warn you guys! Also, I'm sorry if at times they begin to come off as out of character, I'm really trying to keep them truly themselves and just what they would do and react to certain situations. So, thank you for your patience!

And definitely, thanks so much for all your reviews, they seriously make my day!


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Rumiko Takahashi ©

Of Secret Kisses and Sneaking Around

**M (Not suitable for children or teens below the age of 16 with non-explicit suggestive adult themes, or coarse language.)**

* * *

Ranma hadn't gotten much sleep as his mind kept rewinding his conversation with Akane. He didn't understand why she was upset; with all their sneaking around it sure didn't make sense for her to be mad about anything. He told her he didn't plan on marrying any of the other girls – wasn't _that _enough? He had thought about asking her, she could tell him why she had been upset, and he'll fix it. Problem solved. But knowing Akane, it wouldn't be that easy.

He had slipped out of his futon as quietly as he could in hopes of not waking his parents, noting the sunrise was peaking and Akane should be awake. Crawling down the hall, he knocked at her door lightly, and after a failed response he creaked it opened to find she was missing. _She must've had gone for her run_.

He had decided to search for her after he showered, to find she had slipped into the bath herself when he finished getting ready for school. That was fine; he could catch her before or after breakfast, after all she didn't eat a proper meal last night, she was bound to be hungry. When he sat down at the family table, his eyes scanned the room to find her missing. Kasumi let him know Akane had left extra early that morning. It upset him more than he cared to admit. _She's really mad, huh?_

After breakfast Ranma went for his school bag, not meaning the rough grab he made at it which caused him to receive a smack at his face. He groaned, tossing his bag back on the ground, dragging a heavy palm down his face with arrogance. She was avoiding him; he knew her too well, though sometimes he felt like he didn't know her at all. _Why she gotta be such a pain in the butt?_ First, she's upset because of an _incident _he has no control over – he never asked to be engaged; with her or any other – and the next thing he knows _she's_ kissing him. And doing it pretty well, he might add.

Their school day had been quite too similar to the previous day, but this time Akane wasn't ignoring him – well, not completely. When he asked her why she left without him, she simply shrugged her shoulders, "I had plans to meet up with Yuka." She didn't explain herself further, and that _ticked_ him off. He didn't know why it made him more upset than he needed to be, she didn't owe him any explanation whatsoever, but he found himself staring at her throughout the lectures stressing himself over her.

"What I do this time, 'Kane?" He finally asked her and she only gave him unanswered short replies, cutting him off to place herself in her friend's conversations. He'd steal glances at her direction during class only to be caught in the act as she looked towards him from the corner of her eye. She could see hope incite within his eyes as his relaxed posture stiffen, waiting for a response from her sudden cold-shoulder. But she only looked away.

Why was _he_ the only one making efforts? Yesterday he had been the one to seek her out, and if he remembered correctly, they did have a _successful_ outcome. _Maybe that's what she wants!_ He smirked inwardly, allowing his mind get ahead of itself. All he had to do was show Akane _how_ much he wanted to be with her. He felt his cheeks burning up, the lewd images flashing through his head as his thoughts jumbled at how he would even place everything into action. Because he could be wrong. Maybe she was _actually_ upset, and so many hours in he _still_ didn't know _why_.

_Damn it, Akane!_

After much thinking, he figured he would have to wait until after school to catch her on their way home, if she were nice enough to wait for him this time. The pigtailed teen tried to magically speed up time throughout lectures, not really caring much for what any of his teachers had to say.

Much to his unfavorable turn of events, Akane had been sent on an errand before the bell rang, making her a harder target now that he had to look for her. Rushing out the classroom, swiftly leaping over classmates and sliding sideways, he ran to the front gate. She wasn't escaping this time – not if he had a say about it. And he waited, glancing at students pass by him, thinking about what she would say to him now that she had no chance of passing through him. He continued waiting, growing suspicious when she didn't appear with any of her friends. He noticed Yuka, and without a thought went up to her, stopping her just in time to ask about Akane.

She went on to say the blue haired girl had left early when they accidentally bumped into another friend, who appeared to be unaware he was wondering the halls of their high school.

"You mean Ryoga?" Ranma asked perplexed, curious as to when he had gotten back into town. His timing couldn't have been worse if Ranma were being honest.

"I think so. We bumped into him, and when he didn't know where he was Akane offered to walk with him home."

"_Why_ would she do that?"

The young girl only shrug her shoulder, not giving it much thought before saying her goodbyes and walking away. Ranma felt his insides scrunch up, pain releasing within as his mere thoughts revolved around Ryoga being near Akane. His feet began sprinting, following the way home in hopes of catching up to them.

It wasn't long before he spotted them; his fiancée with a slight bounce to her way of walking as she talked with a cheeky grin. All while Ryoga blushed immensely, his index fingers fidgeting with each other as he nervously looked away. Ranma's made it clear before, and he'll make it clear again – Akane is _his_ fiancée, anyone dares to touch her and they're bound to get their hand _chopped_ off. With a swift leap, the pigtailed martial artist went to them, taking his place atop the wobbly fence to intentionally startle the pair.

"Hey, there, _P-Chan_," Ranma greeted, his tongue tasting sour with a mere venomous intent due to the boiling of his blood. He eyed Ryoga with half-lidded eyes, noting they'd tend to be rivals in more ways than once.

Akane pouted with furrowed eyebrows, "Ranma, would you stop _that_! You know P-Chan hasn't been around for weeks!" She looked away, forgetting for a quick second she didn't want to talk to him. Though at times, it was simply impossible to ignore him all in all.

Ranma smirked sinisterly, a hint of vileness in the way his blue eyes pierced toward the astray teen, "We can rearrange that."

Ryoga growled, confused to the sudden dislike; sure, they had never been the best of pals, but they've gone through some rough patches together, he'd think he'd be more _welcomed._ "Ranma has no idea what he's talking about," Ryoga went on to say, feeling nervous about his overall luck when it came to his encounter with cold water each time he was near Akane.

"Oh, I'm pretty sure I've got a good idea of what I'm talking about."

Ryoga winced at Ranma, upset at the blank threat; without a thought he went to throw a punch at the pigtailed martial artist, missing him as his agility had never been paced at a faster speed compared to Ranma. He had missed the way Ranma flipped over him to land perfectly on his feet, waiting for the next punch aimed at him, though it never came. "Ranma, why are you interrupting Akane and I?"

"Oh, ho, ho, and _what_ am I interrupting?" His eyes glanced back at the young girl, a seemingly angry expression marking her face, making him wonder about her actions. Akane had always been too kind, especially with Ryoga. He had never bothered to give it _that_ much thought because he knew that at the end of the day she's pick him. She _always_ picked him. But knowing she had just ditched him for Ryoga made his skin crawl.

"Er – well, that's none of your business!" Ryoga spat, a nonchalant Ranma staring him down.

"Oh, honestly, Ranma! We were just walking home, I invited him for dinner! Is there a problem with that?" Akane finally interfered, her pouted face making him feel as though she'd smacked a fresh wound.

_Yes, there was a big problem with that._

"You didn't wait for me by the gate!" He couldn't help but let the words roll out his tongue as his narrowed eyes were now aimed at her.

"What does that have to do with anything?" She felt slightly taken aback, hoping the minor dispute didn't turn into an argument.

"That you always wait for me, then Ryoga shows up and you just left with him!" He said too much, he can tell by the way she stayed quiet. He could feel the heat rising on his neck and ears.

"Ranma, I – "

"Oh, forget it." And without allowing her to finish her thought, the teen had leaped away to leave them as he had found them.

* * *

Dinner had been just as rowdy, as Ranma found himself acting quite childlike towards Ryoga while Akane tried to calm the duo. He'd flinch pieces of rice with the tip of his index finger, smirking at how he'd manage to get each stuck at his forehead and his oversized bushed fringe.

Akane would pick the grains of rice off Ryoga'a face, turning him into melting butter as her delicate fingers lingers on his face.

"Ranma, leave poor Ryoga alone!"

_Okay, now she was doing it on purpose._

"What – he can't take care of himself?"

When dinner finished, Ranma found himself alone with Ryoga; they sat by the open walkway near the living room, where they looked out at the garden waiting for Akane. Ranma stared him down with squinted eyes shooting at him, all while the handkerchief-wearing teen went on to gloat about the way Akane's hands felt when they touched his face, as though Ranma hadn't felt them himself before.

"You know she only feels sorry for you, right?"

Ryoga tsked his tongue, "So that's what it is!"

"Is what?"

"You're jealous!"

"Who? Me? Jealous of a _macho_ girl like her?" His inner pride only made it hard to confess that, yes, he was in fact bitter on how Akane had purposely been treating Ryoga.

"Call her what you want Ranma, but all I can say is she's got hands of an angel," he smiled dreamily, pushing Ranma off the edge as he stood with hands turning into fists.

"Hey – watch it pal!"

Bickering broke out among them, pouncing at each other with mocking taking place while being at each other's throats. Akane was _his_ fiancée, didn't he understand. Within minutes Ranma pushed himself into the pond while holding onto Ryoga outside his home, knowing very well Akane was away in the kitchen trying to help Kasumi and his mother with the dishes. Now in his female form, Ranma reached for Ryoga who tried to paddle the stubby arms of his piglet form. He sprinted over the gate with _P-Chan _in hand, running as fast as he could a few blocks down from the Tendo residence. He placed him on the ground and snickered with a pointing finger, "Good luck trying to find Akane now."

He was gone within seconds, ignoring the squeals aimed at him as he rushed back home. He peeped into the kitchen, sneaking the kettle of boiling water Kasumi intended to use for tea to pour over himself. Akane bumped into him, mentally questioning what caused him to turn into his girl form _this_ time. She glanced around the room looking for Ryoga, placing her palm over her hip as she looked over at Ranma. She hoped the way her eyes glanced at the way drips of water lingered on his body wasn't noticeable. Clearing her throat, she went to ask, "Where did Ryoga go to?"

Ranma simply rolled his eyes and shrugged his shoulders. "He'll be back, I'm sure," he muttered, making Akane suspicious.

She turned her body to face him fully, both hands now on her waist, "Ranma, what did you do?"

"Why you gotta always assume I did something?"

"Well did you?"

He didn't answer her question, but rather instead took hold of her hand, allowing the kettle to drop on the ground as he rushed her across the hall and up the stairs. If he was going to act, he needed to act now. Sure, it wasn't the nicest thing to do with Ryoga, but he was only getting in the way. She commanded him to let go, though her legs ran along with him. He simply shushed her, not doing as she asked until they'd reached her bedroom. The more he thought about _them_, their situation, and how he tried to understand _what_ she wanted, the more tangled up her felt. It wasn't like him to run away from his problems, well, at least he _tried_ not to run away.

He shoved her inside, closing the door behind them and taking the liberty to lock it. Her lights had been off, due to the bedroom being unused while dinner was taking place; she went to turn the lights on, but Ranma stopped her and took hold of her hand. She felt his warmth as his fingers tenderly folded, already making her heart beat faster. What sort of spell did this boy have on her?

"Ranma what are you doing?" Akane asked, a pouted face aimed at him as she tried to free her grip, Ranma only scooting himself towards her, allowing himself to fall into her misty gaze. The warm colors of the sunset submerged the inner walls of her bedroom, reflecting just what she was feeling at having Ranma's body almost hover over hers.

She was driving him into insanity, and he didn't know if she was aware of it. He could smell the fruity fragrance her shiny hair was giving off. "You gotta stop this whole Ryoga shenanigans," he found himself saying, his voice soft yet forceful, her body tensing up at his chosen words.

She gently pushed herself away, her arms pressing on his wet chest, "Excuse me? Honestly, that's what you're choosing to say?" There was a hint of teasing in her voice, but overall, she was serious; Ranma didn't have a say on what she did or who she talked to. Just like she didn't with him.

His arms went behind her back, tying together to keep her in his hold and ignoring how drenched he was, leaning down to almost touch her face with his own. She felt herself blushing, allowing herself to stay within him and not caring he was wetting her clothes, her arms relaxing against his body while not knowing if to be upset with the way Ranma had been acting or immerse herself at how _loving_ he was being.

"I'll stop when you stop," she commented, pulling her head back, a raised eyebrow taking a stand against him while her small hands began trying to pull his arms off her back.

"Stop what?"

"Ha ha." She rolled her eyes and tugged back, his playful smirk taunting her as she knew she was too weak when it came to Ranma – physically and emotionally. "You know what I'm talking about. _Shampoo_ this, _Ukyo_ that! Besides, this whole _arranged_ marriage, it's for the sake of the school, you said so yourself!"

"Damn it _'_Kane," he grumbled, his grip enforcing around her as she struggled like a worm hooked on a fishing rod, "is it not true? I don't wanna marry you," he went on to say, her heart feeling like it had just been stomped on, staring at him with disbelief.

"Wh – what? Then why are we doing _this_?"

"You idiot, it don't mean I don't wanna date ya_'_."

There it was again – her heartbeat. "D – date?"

He couldn't help but look away when she began to redden, her posture thawing within his grip, suddenly having to stable her stance and hold her so.

"But your other, um, _affairs_?" She inquired, her thumb and index finger reaching his chin and adjusting his head to force him to look at her with his large crystallized eyes.

"I don't own 'em nothing," he defended, "I can call all of _'_em right now if you wanted me to – "

"No!" She exclaimed, realizing she probably voiced herself too loud. He stared at her, confused more than anything. _Was this not what she wanted?_ "I mean," she continued, steadying her voice, her arms slowly going around his shoulders, "I can h – hold you," she tried to gulp her anxiousness away, "like this, with _no one_ to disturb us." She was still frowning, as if thinking to herself, and he couldn't hold in how _cute_ she seemed in that state. The limited lighting of the sun shining at her back.

Ranma went to press his lips softly on her warm cheek and she melted at the gesture, wrapping her arms securely behind his neck to keep herself from falling. Her chest pressed against his, ignoring once again that he was wet and she would have to change afterwards. He kissed her on the mouth, this time around feeling himself a tad more forceful, pushing against her while embracing her figure. His arms began to travel down her back, stopping at her waist, startled at her sudden pull. She stopped kissing him, her breathing unsteady; Akane glanced at her bed, wanting something more comfortable. His eyes widen, surprised at her bluntness and she laughed at the realization at how bold she appeared to be.

"Oh sure, because you haven't been here before," she teased, beginning to walk away with her hand lingering onto his, allowing himself to be guided. Still, he felt bashful when he took a seat next to her, eyeing at how she fixed her long, pleated skirt. Where had his manly ego gone to? After all, this was an invitation, right?

His hand reached for her arm, abruptly pulling her to him to lay her flat on her bed as he rapidly pinned her arms above her head. Akane's eyes went large, her mouth agape as her reaction, allowing his legs to gently straddle her lower body. She took her bottom lip in between her teeth as she felt his weight press against her; damp and cold. "What are you doing, you idiot?" Her hoarse voice was barely audible, but still loud enough for him to hear.

Ranma went to kiss her face, pressing his nose against her temple, "We've been here before," he murmured against her flesh, emitting goosebumps as she willing pulled to him like a magnet. The grip he held on her wrist squeezed for a mere second before he relaxed his hands and searched to tangle his fingers within hers. He went for her lips once again, kissing her longingly. Her bedroom was silent and all they could hear was the subtle shuffling of his posture atop of her.

She whimpered faintly into his mouth, her heavy breathing accompanying the way she called his name, breathy with half-lidded eyes in a dreamy state, her cheeks turning rosy due to their heat. It made him want to lose control. He was getting hard, again, and she could feel him – especially with the way his wet pants stuck against his skin. He had become conscious of it and intended to pull away, but she instead pushed her pelvis against his. Her blood was rushing as she felt _desperate_. Although he was already pinned against her body, she _wanted_ more.

His tongue went to skim over the front of her upper lip, exciting Akane furthermore. Ranma's broad hands trembled before they began to explore her body, giving gentle circular motions as they felt her soft figure over the thin layers of her clothing. His arms reached lower and lower, stopping at her outer thigh as he waited for any sign that he wasn't going too far _this_ time. She let out a small gasp with one nod, her free hand going to feel behind his neck, digging her fingertips into his hair. He began raising her long skirt to expose her leg, massaging it timidly. She felt smooth and soft. His fingers pressed on her flesh, right above the fold of her leg as he went to grind himself against her again and again.

His erection barely poking at her, as her skirt scrunched a barrier. But she was aware of it nonetheless, arousing her altogether. Her own lips traveled over his chin to hide her face against the crook of his neck as Ranma rubbed himself once again, another moan dragging out her throat. She was enjoying the minor friction between both of their bodies dangerously too much.

Ranma pulled away, keeping himself elevated over her as he watched her get gently shoved by the actions of his lower torso against her. She covered her face embarrassed, catching her breath like fish out of water. He needed to stop himself before he _lost_ control and they did something they weren't truly prepared for. Stopping his rhythm, he called her name, asking if she was alright. With a slight nod, Akane began to pull herself up. Taking note, the pigtailed boy removed himself quickly and sat back on the bed by her as she observed her own body. _Wet_. She blushed inwardly.

"Sorry," he commented when seeing Akane unstick her shirt from her skin. They weren't wet, but rather damp, and they needed to change.

"It's no big deal, we'll just pop them on the washing machine," she replied with a small smile.

They stayed in silence, as if waiting for something, but not knowing what.

"A – Akane," he called, her attention fully on him as she subtly fixed her sitting posture to be facing him. She pushed stands of blue hair back, waiting for him to speak. "When we, um, you know," he motioned his arms, as though his actions got the meaning across in case his words didn't, and she couldn't help but bite down on her lower lip, "I get…" he took a heavy breath and she continued to blush intensely.

She never realized how awkward she could be when it came to finally talking about _it_. But that's what she wanted it, right? They can be mature about this. "I, _ahem_, get you – "

"Damn it, _'_Kane, you're cute," he blurted out unexpectedly, causing her to stare at him baffled, waiting for him to finish elaborating on his sudden statement. "Sometimes I don't think I can _control_ myself, if – if I'm making sense." He wasn't looking at her, finding his thumbs more interesting at that moment. Whenever she blushed or pouted her face, he wanted to _smooch_ her. But when her voice whimpered at his will and called for him, he wanted to _devour_ her.

"R – Ranma, I – "

"All you gotta do is stop me, though! If there's something I know, that's consent! _'_Kane, I would never hurt you."

She felt her insides knot up. Hearing his voice word out such declarations made her want to twirl at her heartstrings as though it were a telephone cord. She felt herself smile, because she was aware of it all. If there was one thing Ranma would never do, it would be to hurt her. At least, not intentionally. She found herself scooting closer to him, his serious expression fumbling into his usual childlike timid actions, even though not two minutes ago he had been quite cozy with her. He leaned back against her headboard, observing her with a yearning desire.

"I don't want you to stop," she found herself admitting aloud, settling on her knees in between his parted legs. Her fingers went to reach for the Chinese frog buttons of his shirt, letting them linger for a second before she glanced up at him. "Do you want me to stop?" Her voice was mellow and low; a simple question that captivated his mind as soon as she questioned him.

He shook his head violently, erupting a playful laugh from her.

"More than anything, we need to talk." She went on to say.

Ranma stared at her with furrowed eyebrows, disapproving of her subtle teasing; he was still aroused from their previous activity. Having her as close as she was, wasn't helping. Clearing his throat, he nodded with agreement, wanting clear answers concerning the piglet-turning boy.

"Are we going to discuss Ryoga?" He inquired with a stern face.

Akane huffed, her shoulders dropping with a teasing grin, "So you _were _jealous," she commented. His cheeks began turning into a slight hint of red as he tried to find a comeback to her accusation. Whether she was right or not, it stung his ego. After her short-lived giggles, Ranma found himself defeated as his arms went to take hold of her. Wrapping them around her, he pulled her closer and pressed his forehead against hers, his earnest stare adjusting her silly mood into a serious one.

"What if I was?" He asked her, quietly and directly while her ears mimicked his cheeks. His voice was low and came out as a grunt, knowing this wasn't Ranma – allowing himself to be vulnerable. Somehow, he always found himself in such intimate situations with the youngest Tendo.

Her small hand went to hold his warm cheek for a quick second before pulling back and brushing his bangs away from his face. She let out a heartily sigh, "Well, you shouldn't be, idiot." He smirked. "But," she continued, his mood shifting as he cocked an eyebrow towards her, "when it comes to _us_," she said still shyly, "we need to be careful. We know what happened during the wedding. I don't think daddy would appreciate _any _of them coming around _again_."

His hold had relaxed around her waist, listening to her speak, not having much to add as he had been agreeing to mostly everything she was saying. Don't reject the _other_ fiancées, but also _don't_ show any mere interest – which confused him a bit. If Nabiki finds out, there's really no telling on her outcome; she could manipulate the situation to her beneficial gain, or do _nothing_ with the information. Rather keep it safe than sorry. And obviously, if any of their parents were to find out, it was game over. Not that this was a game – not fully. The catch was not to get caught.

"What – what about, you know..?"

She tilted her head to the side, innocently staring at him even though she knew exactly what he intended to know. His flustered expression never failed to enlighten her. "You want to know _what's _allowed?" She crossed her arms over her chest, her eased posture staring him down in a taunting manner.

"Well, yeah," he replied truthfully, "don't want to be smacked across the room for something I ain't supposed to be doing."

"You mean, like this," Akane called for his attention, pulling the neckline of her blouse to exposed the bruised hickey from one of their earlier encounters. Although he was supposed to feel remorseful, he couldn't help but let is ego gloat with a pride that _he_ did that. And she permitted it. She playfully smacked the side of his head, "I have to hide now when I change in the locker room, you know?"

"Well, that ain't my fault."

"What do you mean _not_ your fault? You _did_ this! Own up to it, dummy!"

He shook his head in disagreement, their lighthearted teasing enforcing a playful grin across her lips; one that bewitched him if not for just that second. He pulled her closer, taking her by surprise when he went to rest his cheek on her chest. There she went again, mesmerized by his secretive endearing mannerisms.

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A/N: Before anything, Ryoga is my precious and I mean _no HATE_ towards him whatsoever!

Okay, so this one took me a tad longer to get out, sorry about that guys! I made this chapter a bit longer to make up for it! Classes are starting soon, and I'm just prepping for them, so the pace might slow down just a bit.

I also want to tell you guys how _happy_ it makes me that you're actually enjoying my story! Every single review is appreciated and I hold them dearly!

Also, you guys give out great tips and advice and will _definitely_ take them into consideration.

In advance, I'm sorry for any errors throughout the chapter; I don't tend to proof read. I also noticed I have plot holes in previous chapter, so I will try and fix those soon!

As for Ranma and Akane, their relationship should be a tad more smooth sailing with intensive fluff.

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**Nikichan: You mentioned something VERY important – ****contraceptives! Of course, in this fic. Akane and Ranma are of age, but is also very important for them to have protection, such as birth control and condoms, at all times; as you mentioned it helps prevent pregnancies and an STD. Thanks for that!**

**jdcocoagirl: In my take with Ranma and Akane, I think they try to be civil but _something_ always tends to happen that makes it impossible. That conversation is a must nonetheless, and I hope I was able to deliver! **

**Guest: Concerning with Ranma's ego, well, it's quite large. When it comes to cockiness and self-confidence, he knows he's a looker along with extraordinary martial artist's abilities. But all in all his weakness can be girls because he truly hasn't explored them in the anime or manga. He enjoys the attention, sure, but overall he _knows_ Akane is attracted to him and has inaudibly admitted that he's attracted to her, but understands that he's quite likable by many and uses that to his advantage. Also, he tends to tease Akane frequently. Like I've mentioned before, I'm really trying to keep them as close to their character as they can be; I've adjusted it a tad in this chapter. I hope you're able to enjoy this one better! **


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Rumiko Takahashi ©

Of Secret Kisses and Sneaking Around

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The shaded sky made Akane believe it would be cool that day. She laid on her bed with her legs upright, pressed against the wall as her upside-down gaze wondered out her window. Her hands held light dumbbells as she did quick arm exercises; up and down in a slow motion, lost in thought. She wondered about Ranma precisely; but lately that's all she had been doing. "Date? He wants to _date_," she mumbled to herself, remaining silent as she came to the realization that she didn't _know _how to date. She's had suitors of all kinds before, but none that ever got to take her out.

Her arms extended on the bed with her, letting them rest for a minute while she went on with her mindful discussion. She had been _betrothed _to Ranma for two years now. She wouldn't consider that dating, right? "Huh, two years." _It's been that long?_ It wasn't like she _had _agreed to the whole bizarre antics her father had thrown her in without consideration. Then, why didn't she allow herself to _date_ other boys? It was too late for that now. Her interests had pinned towards a certain pigtailed martial artist with a turning-female curse at the splash of cold water.

The simple thought made her smile. She really _did_ like that idiot. She sat up, pushing her skirt down before readjusting her top. Her hands tucked her blouse back in as she stood to walk out her bedroom, noticing the house was oddly quiet. Breakfast was served a few hours ago, meaning everyone should be awake. With their usual full house there was bound to be sound coming from somewhere. Her feet tapped lightly at each step she took down the stairs, glancing around before she found the one person she had been wondering about.

Ranma sat slumped over the family table, his head low and shoulders forward with elbows resting on the flat surface. He was alone, she noted, his concentration captivated by whatever afternoon television was offering. She began making her way towards him, not meaning to be as quiet as she had managed, although she was sure Ranma was aware of her presence. A childlike smile spread upon her cheeks as she bent down to push his pigtail aside and softly press her lips against the warm nape of his neck. His tan skin felt soft upon contact, making her keep her stance longer than she had intended to.

She giggled when she felt him shiver, taking a seat next to him, mimicking his sitting posture. "I didn't know you were going to _do_ that," his tone of voice was deep, letting her know he had been dozing off. Her eyes looked over at the television in front of them, not paying any attention to it. Her lips still tingled and although she kissed him only a few seconds ago, she wanted to do it again.

"Where's everyone?" She asked instead, glancing around the room to make sure they hadn't been caught by her mindless act.

"Mom and Kasumi went to the market, needing some things for dinner," he replied, his head now glancing over at her, lazily leaning his cheek against the palm of his hand. "And, pop, I think he said something about a shogi event, with your dad. I don't remember."

She also turned to look at him, gazing into his marble-like eyes as she had shamelessly had accustomed herself to recently. Deep and large; tempting with an invitation she _couldn't_ decline. That she _didn't_ _want_ to decline. And although his expression offered drowsy energy along with his scruffy hair, she still managed to find him very handsome. His structured nose and curled eyelashes accessorized his well-defined face; a strong jawline and curved lips. It made her toes crawl.

"Nabiki's meeting up with a study group," the blue haired teen commented suddenly, not knowing why she'd done it but believing this piece of information was necessary to mention as they sat rather close to one another.

The room was quiet again, as quiet as it can be with television buzz and the wind chimes _clinking_ to the light breeze outside. She could hear the rush of her blood accelerate now that she _wanted _to touch him; she wanted to reach for his hand, she wanted to feel the heat of his neck against her cool palm, and she wanted to _kiss_ him. Like the ones he'd been secretly giving her behind closed doors.

The beats of her heart began pounding loudly at her ears tuning out her surroundings, unconsciously taking in her bottom lip and softly nibbling on it due to her sudden nervousness. She didn't know _why_ she was shy all of a sudden, they had talked about _this_, and with agreement it was clarified that if they wanted to they could kiss. And, _oh boy_, did she want to.

"Di – did you, I don't know," Ranma gulped loudly, shifting his eyes left and right and up and down, "hang until?" It was a loaded question and it wasn't supposed to feel as weird as he was making it out to be. But Akane sat right next to him and he watched her small hands anxiously push the short strands of blue hair behind her ear multiple times although the hair did not stay. The rosy hue layered upon her cheeks and her pointy nose made her appear cuter than she was. Abnormally large eyes blinked towards him and he found himself staring too intensely into them. The way her pouty lips parted, curving beautifully as she talked to him.

"We could go up to my room," She suggested, her face continuing to overlay shades of crimson, "to study, or whatever!" She mumbled, but she never stopped looking into his eyes.

Ranma nodded, now beginning to feel steamy himself, grinning like a goof as he said, "Or whatever sounds good."

Agreeing far too quickly, Akane jumped to her feet and stuck her tongue out in a kiddy fashion, staggering his thought process in her sudden change of character as she said, "Race ya' up there?" But before he had a chance to accept the challenge, the soles of her feet pitter-pattered down the hall and up the stairs. She found herself laughing because she knew he would find a way to beat her; when it came to speed, there was no one faster than Ranma. Just as her arm stretched for the door knob, Ranma's body crashed behind her as she opened the door, both of them falling onto the carpeted floor while her laughter filled the empty air half way into her bedroom, her body laying next to the pigtailed-teen.

He watched her quietly, observing the long eyelashes of her shut eyes and how her cheekbones lifted with its pink hue. Her beauty was something unique. He was now prompting himself with his elbow, observing how her wide smile began to shrink when she noticed he wasn't laughing along. Not because he didn't want to, but because he was fascinated at how attracted he was to her. She cleared her throat quietly, still smiling and her eyes wide and concentrated on him. He lowered his head towards her, waiting for a reaction that said she didn't want him as close. Instead her eyelids had become heavy and he watched her stay still with slightly parted lips. His nose skimmed onto her cheek, breathing her in, feeling her stiffness as she held her breath.

"I want to kiss you so bad right now," he found himself admitting aloud, silently with his own half-lidded eyes becoming misty. "Okay," she said with a meek voice. And then he kissed her, like he had done so before, starting out slowly and carefully. She adjusted her head to coordinate with his rhythm, feeling as his upper torso slightly covered over her chest, his palm gently taking hold of her forearm and squeezing softly.

She had never kissed anyone before him, not the way he kissed her. Her insides vibrated and sent shivers down her spine. It was an experience she didn't know she'd become obsessed with. Obsessed with was a strong word all on its own, but whenever he wasn't touching her, she found herself wishing he was. His large hand began to slowly travel down to press onto the dip of her back. Akane felt the tip of his tongue skim over her top lip, and she granted entrance almost immediately. Her mouth was hot, and she squealed at the way his tongue tried to wrap around hers, his mouth deepening into hers. His hand kept on lowering, over her behind and pressing softly until he rested behind her lower thigh. It felt like fire. He was making her give off embarrassing sounds into his mouth. He soothed her up and down her thigh, gently but sternly pressuring his palm against her milky skin. He pulled away from her lips while stringing a line of saliva between the two, leaving her dazed before he went to kiss the crook of her neck, hearing her loud purr against his ear.

Ranma's smirk imprinted on her neck, and she found herself once again digging her teeth into her bottom lip while her hands reached to hold onto the collar of his classical red mandarin shirt. The way his tongue glided one way just before his lips followed along caused another groan to be repressed by her clasped lips. He felt so _good_. Her hands crawled up his neck and hooked behind, the tips of her fingers digging into the soft chunk of hair. She could feel herself get tingly, pressing her thighs together, breathing heavier than earlier.

"Ran..ma," she breathed out, soft and hoarse, feeling his teeth slightly dig into her skin before he sucked softly, "n – no love bites," she reminded him, only imagining the horrors she'd pass if anyone were to ever see her with a hickey. As much as she enjoyed his attention on her neck, she needed him to be careful. He obliged nonetheless, dragging his tongue up and kissed her jawline before trailing further until reaching her earlobe. He began to nibble on it, enlightening himself at the way she whimpered at his tug.

He relished on her fragrance, the heat of her neck, and the way her slender fingers held onto him exciting him further. She took pleasure at the way his broad hand pushed itself past the barrier of her skirt, his fingers lingering at the hem of her panties. His skin burnt her in an accelerating way, it made her want more. "Oh, god," she heard him growl silently, the sudden clutch on an ass cheek making her gasp loudly. Her toes extended outwards as she stretched her legs and feeling the fresh carpet against her skin. It reminded her they were still on the floor.

The blue-haired teen was losing her mind. He was kissing her again, deeply and sloppier as earlier, her arms fully enveloping around his head while he continued to massage her ass. She felt perverted and embarrassed all at the same time. Ranma began to position himself on top of her, and she granted him comfortable readjustment as she spread her thighs. Without second thinking, the pigtailed teen pressed himself onto her with a slight grind against her hips. She wanted _more_. She wanted him to do it again, wrapping her legs around his hips, softly whimpering when he thrusted again.

She could feel his erection prodding into her warmth, the only barrier being her wet panties and his drawstring pants. Her lips pulled away from his and snuck her head into his neck, "A – again," she said almost in an whisper, her mouth giving off sounds that made him oblige immediately. Each time he would grind himself into her, her face would squirm in the cutest way, it wasn't helping him stay in control. The sensation was too much, she noted. Ranma grunted lowly, keeping his teeth clasped while his mind went haywire when he began to shove himself at a faster pace.

Her slim fingers fumbled with the first frog button of his shirt, trying to untie each one faster than the last, which could be difficult to do when he was moving onto her the way that he was. When all were undone, she hurriedly began pushing it off his torso and down his arms to toss it to the side. The palm of her hands touched his broad and muscular shoulders before one began to linger lower onto his chest. He pressed his stomach against her with her arms embracing him desperately. She could feel how careless she was being, how excited she was.

Ranma felt so horny, he was impressed at how long he was lasting. Her cutesy expressions were enough to rile him up, but each time she bit her lower lip or gasped unexpectedly it made him want to be rougher against her. He could see sweat begin to drip down her forehead as some strands of hair stuck on her face. She was so sexy, and having her looked so pleased because of him made him begin to get frenzy. If he didn't stop himself soon he knew he would release himself and he didn't need to embarrass himself like that in front of her anytime soon.

Yet Akane continued to caress his body. She raveled her hands as though it were the first time and she was exploring with a time limit. It was her turn to kiss his neck and take his Adam's apple fully in her mouth as she suckled with such lewd sounds. He groaned inwardly, his mind beginning to feel dizzy. They needed to stop before it escalated into something further, even if he didn't want to. Her nails clung onto his skin, making his eyes roll backwards.

"'Kane," he called feeling his mouth go dry, "w – wait," he heard himself saying, and within seconds she stopped kissing his neck and looked up at him, a twinkle in her eyes.

"Did – did I hurt you?" She asked worriedly, quickly glancing at the unconscious scratches she made on his biceps, panting heavily while trying to gasp for air. He breathed just as loudly shaking his head, his arms keeping him afloat atop of her and his lower body still pressed against hers, hot and as sweaty. "Then what is it?" She asked, pushing his messy hair away from his face. She watched him fondly, with a warm smile and concerned eyes. She was so cute, her face obviously flushed and swollen lips with large eyes.

He went to kiss her once again, softer this time, feeling her smile against his lips before she pulled away from him. Although she wanted to do a lot more, there was concern on his face that she couldn't simply dismiss it, worrying her furthermore.

She began to sit up, gently pushing him off her and watching him roll over to lay on his back. He stared at the ceiling, her hand reached to tenderly caress the side of his face, asking once again, "Ranma, what's wrong?"

"I don't wanna force ya' into nothing you ain't ready for, ya' know?" His voice was low and almost in a whisper, not knowing why he was blaming himself for allowing the situation to escalate as much as it did. If there was one thing they couldn't deny about Ranma Saotome, it was that he had respect for women. Especially Akane.

Her hazelnut eyes blinked several times at him, cocked eyebrows with her perplexed expression as she began to shake her head. "Force me?" Her sudden burst of giggle startled him, "And _you_ would know when _I'm_ ready? You're not making me do anything I don't want to do, you know that, right?" A hint of blush stood out from her flushed face, admitting such statements out loud feeling far more intimate than actually doing any of it. But then it struck her, "Am I making you do something you don't want to do?" Selfishly, the thought had never crossed her mind.

The subtle horror on her face forced him to laugh as well, "I didn't want to stop," he confessed mindlessly. Akane's cheeks creased at his bold statement, watching him the palm of his hand smack his face, "I sound so lame," he groaned. But she shook her head in disagreement, leaning down and kissing the tip of his nose, "I didn't want to stop either."

His goofy grin made her stomach do a flip or two, and she laughed lightly, "Kasumi and Auntie Saotome could come through that door any moment anyways," Akane reminding him, pushing strands of blue hair out of her face and readjusted her skirt from where his hand had just been. He sat along with her, brushing his fingers though his fluffy bangs while he realized there was something he needed to take care of. Privately.

"What do you wanna do then?" Her question was nonchalant, her hands going to help him fix his hair as she smiled fondly at him. "I can help you with some of your school work," she offered, not noticing how Ranma's back shivered to her touch. Her slender fingers moved small strands off his face, picking at the singular hairs upon his cheek tenderly and giggling when seeing him observe her in awe.

* * *

Akane had been helping in the kitchen before dinner; she took care of rinsing the vegetables and setting them by the cutting board for Auntie Saotome to chop. She would usually complain about wanting to do more but that afternoon the youngest Tendo stayed by the sink and did as she was told. Her mind was preoccupied, and her thoughts about Ranma had been distracting her from real life.

While _studying_, if she could even call it that, Ranma would pull her to him and rest his heavy arms around her. She didn't mind at first, until he nuzzled at the crook of her neck and breathed heavily onto her skin with soft pecks that began distracting her. She began pushing him off by insisting they _should_ study. Although it really wasn't the scholar in her refraining her from doing other activities, but the thought of being found voluntarily giving into lewd acts, leading to the end of their _secret encounters_. And if Akane were being honest with herself, she was enjoying their sneaking around a little too much to give it up so early.

Their studying session ended early when Ranma found her the bed too comfy and he needed to feel at ease. Wrong. He ended up falling asleep, and she only noticed when he wasn't nitpicking at everything she read out loud. She closed her book and set it aside, letting a deep breath out in disbelief but knowing all too well this would be the outcome. "Dope," she called him quietly, gently taking a seat by him, her delicate hands slipping through the scruff of his bangs as they did earlier, smiling like a goof while she allowed herself to get lost in thought.

"Akane," she heard her name being called, turning to find her eldest sister staring at her with knitted eyebrows, "are you feeling alright?"

"We've been calling you for a minute now," Auntie Saotome continued, setting her knife down and walking towards her and mindfully pressing the back of her hand against Akane's cheek. "Everything alright, dear?"

"Y – Yes!" She wished she hadn't hesitated, "I have an exam coming up, I'm just overthinking, really." She tried not to sound too nervous and more convincing, it's not like they knew _anything_, right? Still, her stomach churned at how she wasn't being careful. When Kasumi announced herself home earlier, Akane rushed down the stairs after closing the door to her bedroom behind her while Ranma stayed sleeping, offering her help in the kitchen prep for lunch. Since everyone was busy that afternoon, Kasumi opted for heavy snacks instead, and began setting up for an early dinner.

Akane turned off the kitchen faucet and began taking the produce from the sink to Auntie Saotome.

"Hmm," the older woman hummed as she pouted her lips drastically, "and here I thought my son could have been the reason for your distractions," she smiled fondly and all Akane could do was mimic the color of the tomato that had just been sliced as she shook her head. Denying it was all she had going for her, but her hands got clammy and she could feel sweat begin to buildup on her forehead.

"Oh, Auntie Saotome," Kasumi giggled, "those two won't really have any sort of affection _until_ they're married, isn't that right, Akane?"

"R – right! I mean, I don't know, _maybe_." She also didn't want to sound too excited.

"Maybe? So there's a chance you two could build a relationship before being wed?" Her desperate tone clung onto Akane's shoulders, not wanting to lie but also not wanting to reveal that, _yes_ her son had been kissing her up and down these past few days.

"All I'm saying is there's no reason to talk about _it_ until we have _something_ to talk about."

"Oh, to be in love," Auntie Saotome sighed, a sparkle in her eye as she took a carrot and began cutting perfectly thin slices. She was quick, too, Akane noted as she did every time she helped in the kitchen. Within minutes the vegetable laid on the chop board, the knife gliding swiftly as she chatted on, "Oh, the fun I had when I was your age," Auntie Saotome continued, "some of my best years, if I'm being frank."

"Why is that, Auntie Saotome?" Kasumi found herself asking as she prepped a pot over the stove, suddenly infatuated by the topic while Akane watched both women begin elaborating on their conversation.

"Well, I'll just say, Gemma and I took advantage of every minute of the day, if you know what I mean."

Akane watched her in disbelief as she swore she had just _winked_ at her. No, she must have mistook a simple blink of her eye. No one knew Ranma was napping inside her bedroom at that very moment. Especially Auntie Saotome. Right? She needed to kick him out before anyone dared to waltz themselves in without knocking.

Kasumi asked for further detail, and both women began to speak among each other, Auntie Saotome reliving her youth through memory. Akane watched for a moment. The way Auntie Saotome sighed merrily, a slender smile gently spread across her cheeks. Her tone was soft and lovingly, making Akane wonder if she could ever talk about Ranma with the same fondness aloud.

Some words struck her more than others, and it seemed Auntie Saotome knew that Mr. Saotome was her match made. Dr. Tofu, only a few years ago, made her think she was certainly in love. Of course, she was only infatuated to what she believed she wanted. But now?

"Oh, but believe me, we did have our bad days!" Auntie Saotome groaned dramatically, yet her tender eyes continued to watch over the vegetables with now a smaller smile.

"Bad?" Akane repeated curiously. In the way the older woman was talking, it made it seem like everyday was paradise. "Why so?"

"Well," she continued, "sometimes we had disagreements. And it wasn't easy, but both of us had to sacrifice our differences and compromise. Keeping our word as promised, proved to be just as difficult. But love can conquer all. That's why I believe you and my son can – "

"Oh, I just remembered, uh, this assignment, super important!" Lame excuse, she knew, but also the only one she could pull out of thin air within seconds. She felt their eyes piercing through her skin as she slowly backed out of the kitchen in trying to save herself from being asked more detailed inquiries about her love life, or rather Ranma particularly.

When Akane opened her bedroom door she found her bed empty. She found herself feeling silly in hoping she'd catch him sprawled like she had left him.

* * *

Akane's behind sat on the creaky floor of the dojo. She was dressed in her worn out gi, her round cheeks pressed against the palms of her hands as she watched her show-off of a fiancé practicing kata. Her large eyes observed his movements, in slow motion even, as his arm stretched forward and around. She felt like a _girl_; queasy and like a slobbering mess when noticing how his sweat wonderfully shined against his tan skin.

She had originally planned on practicing herself, truly unaware that Ranma was occupying the room. And, sure, they could share the space, there was definitely enough space for the both of them. He was already in his own session when she walked in, and suddenly all she only wanted to do was watch him. So she settled herself on the floor after some time, rolling her eyes that accompanied her oversized grin each time Ranma would showcase an advanced move. She would also laugh when he'd accidentally trip or stumble from his stance, which was rare. There had to be a _distraction_ in order for that to happen.

"Losing your balance, aren't we?" She called out, teasing him in pure enjoyment.

"Let's see you do better, tomboy!" He grunted, mainly because he felt embarrassed that he missed a step. He hadn't been expecting her to use the dojo that night with school work getting heavy, and more surprisingly an audience. When she simply took a seat and began watching him, Ranma felt a sudden wave of adrenaline flush through his veins. Could have been his large ego wanting to impress the cute girl only a few feet away from him. Or wanting, as usual, to execute his stance flawlessly like he accustomed to.

Either way, the distraction was there.

"Oh, hush! I'm still too full from dinner, I can't perform," she said in a matter-of-factly, throwing a towel at his direction for him to dry the sweat on his face.

"Sure, we'll go with that," he huffed.

She laughed in disbelief, expressing the fakest emotion her face could foster as she stood from the floor, "You don't believe me? That's rude," she claimed. Once she reached him, her arms reached for the towel he was already using, taking it and beginning to wipe his cheek roughly.

"I'm not the one being creepy, just sitting on the floor watching me," he retaliated, squinting an eye when Akane's towel-brushing pushed at his temple.

"Was I really distracting you?" Her question was genuine, with a hint of annoyance as he usually lived for this sorts of stuff; Ranma never missed an opportunity when it came to showing off. He was now watching her as she waited for an answer, and it took her a minute before she noticed. He stayed quiet, and although he wanted to make a snarky comment his mind came out blank. "Are you blushing?" Akane teased, quickly brushing the towel across his bone cheek with a toothy grin.

"No," he tried to convince himself, but her giggles weren't helping.

"Hey, look at me," she asked, and after a few seconds he complied, turning his head to face her staring up at him adoringly. He felt her fingertips begin to linger on his chin before trailing up across his cheek and under his ear to stop once they've reached the nape of his neck as she tiptoed and very gently kissed him. It was too short, he noted, as she dropped the soles of her feet on the floor, "Is this also distracting?"

_Oh, damn it._ She was so cute. He leaned down to kiss her, too. His lips were salty and hot and welcoming. Like clockwork, his hefty hand set onto the curve of her back as she kissed him back. It had to be short-lived because although they were late hours it was still a dangerous spot. Anyone could walk in. So, with all her might, she pulled away and allowed Ranma to lean his sweaty forehead against hers. "Meet me later in my room?" She asked in between breaths.

He nodded, pecking her lips a few more times before she pulled away once again, leaving the towel in his hands before she began to walk away.

"Also, make sure to shower," she called out.

"You saying that makes me _not_ want to shower."

She turned, now walking backwards, "You smell."

"You didn't seemed too concerned about that just now."

She threw a mocking face at him before sticking her tongue out, "My window could be locked or opened, you decide."

* * *

A/N: Guys! I'm crying, you guys are so kind! I'm so happy that y'all have been enjoying my fic! I know, I took a lot longer than I expected to update, but I'm so grateful if you're still sticking with me. Life got in the way, a tale I'm sure we can all relate to. I tried to make it up by making this chapter a bit longer, I hope it works!

I hope to update way sooner this time, but until then I definitively appreciate a review or favorite or share from you guys!

Also, it's a crazy world out there in these hard times, but I hope y'all are staying safe and healthy! Remember, your mental health is just as important as your physical one! Take care of yourself! _okayimastopramblingnow_


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